<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Aftermath by XWingKC</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23428111">The Aftermath</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/XWingKC/pseuds/XWingKC'>XWingKC</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Sam and Jack Shorts [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stargate SG-1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 10:27:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,069</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23428111</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/XWingKC/pseuds/XWingKC</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam returns from captivity in the hands of the Lucian Alliance. Her natural instinct leads her where she feels she belongs.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Sam and Jack Shorts [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1677553</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>67</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Aftermath</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He knew she’d been taken hostage and beaten. How badly, or how much worse, he did not know. She had a tendency to leave certain details out of reports, and only offered more surgical, or poignant details, so no other conjecture could be made. But he knew better, and reading her report said all he needed to know.</p><p>She wasn’t returning his calls at work. Oh, ya, definite red light that something was not right. He left a message on her cell, and landline at home. But just one. He knew she’d either listen to it, or just notice that it was him that was calling her. When she was ready, he knew she’d call back. </p><p>He didn’t have a lot of intel on the Lucian Alliance yet, but he did know them to be rather rough to their guests. The report said they were all beaten for almost 24 hours. Not continuous beatings, but each of them in turn were on the wrong side of a fist or gun butt. Sam’s doctor report did say bruising on her chest. He wished she would return his calls.</p><p>He went home a little early, hoping to be able to make himself a real dinner, instead of ordering something. He had to blink twice at the blonde sitting on his front stairs. How long has she been here? And why was she on his front stairs? So many questions, and yet all that came out was,</p><p>“Hi Sam.”</p><p>“Jack,” was all she said. His first name. He locked eyes with her, and knew she wasn’t going to say anything more. So he opened up his door and let her in first.</p><p>“Sam, I am going to go change. There is the bathroom, and the kitchen is right back there. Please make yourself at home. I’ll be right back.”</p><p>She looked at him as he walked upstairs to get changed. She grabbed two beers from the fridge, and went to sit on his couch. This was the first time she has been to his place in DC. Not bad for a bachelor pad. Old Town Alexandria was a mix of young and old, so he’d fit in well here. He came back downstairs in a Simpson’s T-shirt and shorts. He had a pair of short socks on and brought a blanket down with him.</p><p>He sat on the couch next to her, and she handed him a beer.</p><p>“So, do you want to tell me why you are here all of a sudden?” he asked her.  She looked at him, and bit her bottom lip. He knew she was trying to form words. She moved closer to him on the couch. She laid her head into his shoulder, and brought her knees up on the couch, and sort of melted into his side. He grabbed both beers and put them on the table. He put his arm around her and just held her. He could feel more than hear the sobs coming from her.</p><p>He had no idea how much time passed, but the sun was setting, and there were no other lights on in the house. After trying to formulate questions for her, he finally spoke. </p><p>“Sam, did they….” and he couldn't finish the sentence.</p><p>“No.” She twitched in his side. “No. Just hitting, and rather rough groping,” is all that she said.</p><p>He exhaled deeply, and brought his other arm around her and just held her. He eventually got up and made them something to eat. Macaroni and cheese was easy and fast. She smiled at the gesture and thanked him. They ate in silence before she asked him if she could take a shower. She had one backpack with her with clothes and a few toiletries. He showed her to the guest room and guest bathroom.</p><p>She took her shower and changed for the night. Both of them intuitively knew she’d be staying the night. There was never a question about that. The question was only how long is she staying?</p><p>She found him downstairs watching TV. He thought she was the only person that could make a simple t-shirt and sweatpants attractive, especially at bed time. </p><p>“Hey,” he said.</p><p>“Hey. I think I’m going to go to bed,” she said looking at him. He turned his head away from the TV to look at her.</p><p>“Do you need anything?” he asked.</p><p>“No, I’m OK. Or, I am now that I am here,” and she smiled at him for the first time tonight.</p><p>“Good night, Sam,” he said smiling back at her.</p><p>He got tired about an hour and a half later. He cleaned up the kitchen, and turned off the lights downstairs. He went up to his room to get ready for bed. He turned the light on in his bathroom. When he turned around to walk back into his bedroom, he saw a pair of blue eyes attached to a blonde head laying in his bed, staring back at him. Without a word, he changed shirts, and put on a pair of pajama pants, and crawled in bed with her. </p><p>She snuggled her back into his chest, and he held her close like he has wanted to do for so many years. She brought her hands up to hold on to his arms that he had wrapped around her. </p><p>“Thank you, Jack,” she said, again, using his first name.</p><p>“For what?” he asked.</p><p>“For being here for me, again.”</p><p>“Always,” he replied. This has been his promise to her, and he has no intention of letting her forget.</p><p>“Always….” she whispered back in the darkness around them. She rolled over to face him. She put her hand on his face, and let her fingers outline his lips. He let his hand touch her hip and ran it up the side of her body.</p><p>He could feel her eyes on him. He has dreamed of this moment for almost a decade now. </p><p>“Sam, what are you doing?” he finally asked her in a soft whisper.</p><p>“Finally taking you up on your promise,” she whispered back to him. “You are my always.”</p><p>They lay there together for a few moments taking in the words she had just spoken. Then he gently kissed her. Then in a dance that could be described as two celestial bodies in space finally colliding, they took their relationship to the next, and final, level.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>